Republicans Ted Gaines (left) and Bob Huff huddle in the state Senate chamber in the Capitol.

Republicans Ted Gaines (left) and Bob Huff huddle in the state Senate chamber in the Capitol.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Senator Leland Yee- D of San Francisco,(right) and Senator Ron Calderon, of Montebello, in a discussion on the floor of the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on Thursday May 3, 2012. When Californians go to the polls this year, first in next month's primary and then in the November election, they could do something that hasn't happened since the fallout from the Watergate scandal, give one party a supermajority in the Legislature. less

Senator Leland Yee- D of San Francisco,(right) and Senator Ron Calderon, of Montebello, in a discussion on the floor of the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on Thursday May 3, 2012. ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley,(left) works away while inside Senate Chambers at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on Thursday May 3, 2012. When Californians go to the polls this year, first in next month's primary and then in the November election, they could do something that hasn't happened since the fallout from the Watergate scandal, give one party a supermajority in the Legislature. less

Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley,(left) works away while inside Senate Chambers at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on Thursday May 3, 2012. When Californians go to the polls this year, first in next ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Senator Mark Leno-D of San Francisco, (left) and Senator, President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg-D of Sacramento, in a discussion on the floor of the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on Thursday May 3, 2012. When Californians go to the polls this year, first in next month's primary and then in the November election, they could do something that hasn't happened since the fallout from the Watergate scandal, give one party a supermajority in the Legislature. less

Senator Mark Leno-D of San Francisco, (left) and Senator, President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg-D of Sacramento, in a discussion on the floor of the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol, in Sacramento, Ca., on ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Democrats seek supermajority in Legislature

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Sacramento --

When Californians go to the polls this year, first in next month's primary and then in the November election, they could do something that hasn't happened since the fallout from the Watergate scandal: elect a supermajority in a chamber of the state Legislature.

Still, a two-thirds majority in the Senate would give Democratic lawmakers enough votes in that chamber to approve tax increases, override the governor's vetoes, and bypass legislative rules and deadlines. An already weak Republican Party in Sacramento would retain power only in its ability to fight those moves in the Assembly.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, who is leading the effort for the additional Senate seats, said winning them would make governing easier, and make it easier for voters to hold the majority party accountable for its decisions.

"We are going for it," Steinberg said. "We're going to work very, very hard to try to achieve the two-thirds supermajority. We think we have a great opportunity."

New district boundaries

Democrats hold 25 of the 40 seats in the Senate, and they see strong opportunities to pick up as many as four additional seats after the once-a-decade redrawing of district lines this year. Half of the Senate seats are up for grabs this year.

Republicans filed a lawsuit challenging the new Senate district lines, which were drawn up for the first time by a voter-approved citizens' commission, but the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the suit.

Still, Republicans have funded a referendum on the lines that qualified for November's ballot, though the outcome of that vote will not affect the results of the election of senators this year and it's not clear whether Republicans can or will fund a campaign to pass it.

The changes gave Democrats so much of an advantage in the 17th Senate District that incumbent Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, decided not to run again. That probably will assure a win by Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Santa Cruz, who is running.

Other potential Democratic pickups include:

-- The Fifth Senate District, which includes Stockton, Tracy, Lodi and parts of Modesto. Candidates in the primary include two members of the Assembly, Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston (Merced County), and Bill Berryhill, R-Ceres (Stanislaus County), and San Joaquin County Supervisor Leroy Ornellas, whose party preference is Republican.

-- The 27th Senate District, stretching from the west side of Los Angeles to the ocean and into parts of the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. There, Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County) will face Todd Zink, a Republican military officer.

-- Democrats also are looking to hold on to the 39th District in San Diego, where there could be a tough fight between a former and a current member of the Assembly. They are Assemblyman Marty Block, D-San Diego, and former Assemblyman George Plescia, a Republican, of La Jolla.

In all of those districts, Democrats hold an advantage in voter registration and Democrats so far generally have significant fundraising advantages, too.

GOP remains hopeful

But Republicans say they have strong candidates and that focusing their campaigning on jobs and the economy - and the powers a supermajority would give Democrats - will keep the seats in GOP hands.

"I think it's going to be real tough for the Democrats to pull off the kinds of wins they are talking about to get control of the Senate," said state Senate Republican leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County). If they did, he said, "you'd hear Champagne bottles uncorked because they would be able to raise taxes without any speed bump in the Senate."

He said it has typically been easier to get Assembly Republicans to vote for taxes, so the prospect of the Legislature passing a tax increase becomes more likely if just the Senate reaches a two-thirds majority.

And if the Senate does reach a supermajority, taking it away could be difficult, said Matt Rexroad, a veteran Republican political consultant and a Yolo County supervisor.

"If it does flip, the problem is Republicans' ability to raise money and recruit candidates is going to be limited. Once it happens, it's going to be very difficult to get back," Rexroad said.

Still, there are potentially two Senate seats that Republicans are in a good position to win in 2014. Those are a seat in Orange County and a new seat in the foothills east of the Bay Area. The latter district replaces one that currently is in San Francisco and San Mateo County.

On the Assembly side, Democrats say they aren't expecting to win a supermajority - 54 of 80 seats - this year. All Assembly seats are up for election. Democrats hold 52 of them.

"Anything is possible depending on what happens at the top of the ticket in turnout, but I would say we're not counting on 54," said Steve Barkan, political consultant for Assembly Democrats. He said the makeup of the Assembly between Democrats and Republicans is likely to remain the same.

Republicans, however, think they can increase their membership by as many as three seats - for a total of 31 - even though they are counting just 26 seats as safe, said Chris Wysocki, political director for Assembly Republicans:

-- The Eighth Assembly District in Sacramento County that stretches into the eastern part of the county and south of there. Six candidates are on that primary ballot.

-- The 61st Assembly District in the Riverside area, where four candidates are on the ballot.

-- The 66th Assembly District in Los Angeles County, where three candidates on the ballot.

"It has been a while since we've picked up seats period, but I think we have a real opportunity this year," Wysocki said.

The power balance

Neither Republicans nor Democrats have held a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature at the same time. The last supermajorities were: